St. John Neumann Church to install Rev. Abraham Orapankal, July 14

The Rev. Abraham Orapankal, who is celebrating his 30th year in the priesthood, will be installed officially as pastor of the Catholic community of St. John Neumann at the 10:30 a.m. Mass, Sunday, July 14, at the church center, 398 Route 513 in Lebanon Township. A reception will follow there and all are invited.

Bishop Paul Bootkoski of the Metuchen Diocese appointed Father Abraham (his preferred appellation) administrator of the local church last summer to succeed the retiring Rev. J. William Mickiewicz (Father Bill), who founded the parish in 1982. Under Father Abraham's leadership and encouragement a high school youth program has restarted meeting monthly as well as a young adults group, spiritual dialogue sharings and monthly summer game nights. He believes in one-on-one communication and often personally invites youth to church activities.

Last year Father Abraham assumed his new responsibility after spending August with relatives in India where his parents and brother run a 20-acre farm growing cashews, black pepper and other spices.

He primarily has aimed to continue the mission of the Catholic Community of St. John Neumann: to be living witnesses of Jesus Christ. He believes that "the Sunday service must be the time when the worshippers feel they are touched by God. Hence, it must be a prayerful, meaningful and happy experience so that everyone will spontaneously want to come back every Sunday." He said he is fully aware and appreciative of the fact that St. John’s initially was nourished by the hospitality of Califon Christian communities – in particular, Califon United Methodist Church and Lower Valley Presbyterian Church. “I have worked for many years as a missionary in Nagaland (in the northeast of India) which is predominantly a Baptist region, and so I am at home in the midst of various Christian communities and I look forward to working together with the different communities around here,” he said. He enjoys reading and walking.

Father Abraham came to Hunterdon County from St. Bartholomew Church in East Brunswick where he was parochial vicar for the past two years. He is known for bringing the word of God to life and relating it to today's culture. His ministry has included serving as a high school principal, church pastor and adjunct professor of theology in India. He came to the United States in 1994 and became an associate pastor at St. Catharine’s Church, Blauvelt, N.Y., while earning a doctorate in church leadership from the School of Education at Fordham University.

Born Oct. 11, 1956 in the southernmost Indian state of Kerala, Father Abraham, his parents' firstborn, has four brothers and three sisters. At age 15 he entered the seminary in the northeastern state of Assam to become a missionary priest. He then graduated from Christ King College in Shillong and completed his theological studies at the Papal Seminar in Pune, both in India. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 17, 1983 for the missionary Diocese of Kohima in Nagaland, then earned his master's degree in theology. He was appointed dean of the Minor Seminary in Nagaland, where he subsequently became rector.

Looking to advance his studies, Father Abraham came to the United States in 1994. He ministered at various N.Y. area churches while studying at Fordham University and the Shalem Institute of Spiritual Direction in Bethesda, Md. He returned to India in 2001 to teach theology and to serve as spiritual director at Oriens Theological Seminary in Shillong. In 2004 he came back to the U.S. for health reasons. He began six years' ministry with Renew International, based in Plainfield, as a national presenter and retreat director. This 30-year-old Catholic movement, following the principles of Vatican Council II, started in the Newark Archdiocese and has spread worldwide. Father Abraham also supervised Renew's “Theology on Tap” program that reaches out to young adults.
Meanwhile, Father Bill, now pastor emeritus, has moved to the diocesan priests' retirement home: Maria Regina Residence, 5 Dellwood Lane, Somerset, 732-828-6800. He returns to fill in for Father Abraham when needed.

For more information on Sunday's event, call the church office at 908-832-2513.